Chawton House & The Vyne, Hampshire

Chawton House is over four hundred years old. It was built by the Knight family in the 1580s following the acquisition of the estate by Nicholas Knight in 1578. There was already a manor house on the estate prior to this, first recorded in 1224.

The house’s most famous association is with Jane Austen, whose brother Edward, inherited the house when distant family members Thomas and Catherine Knight, made him their heir.

Highlights associated with Jane include the reading alcove in the Oak Room where, according to Knight family legend, she liked to sit; the same room also features a miniature portrait of her beloved niece, Fanny Knight.

We shall leave Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall at 09.00 Please note the coach is unable to drop us at the door of either property and will need to park off site so there is a short walk from the drop off point to the house in each case. There will be refreshments on arrival at Chawton House before we start our tour. We will stay at Chawton for a buffet lunch before leaving at 13.30 to make our way to The Vyne.

The Vyne was transformed from a cluster of medieval buildings into a Tudor palace between 1500 and 1520. This was the work of William Sandys, who became Lord Chamberlain to King Henry VIII in 1526.

Now approximately a third of its original size, The Vyne once extended as far as the lake and was described as ‘one of the Principale Houses in all Hamptonshire.’

Chaloner Chute acquired The Vyne in 1653, only to demolish two thirds of it to create space for what is now the north lawn. The Chute family remained the owners of The Vyne until it was left to the National Trust in 1956.

 Discover Jane Austen’s links to The Vyne, her views on the Chute family and what Regency life, and love, was like for those living there at the time. During your guided tour you can get up close to first editions of Austen’s books, feast your eyes on beautiful Regency costume worn by members of the family, and learn more about Austen, her family connections to The Vyne, and what Regency life and love was like for those living here.

Leaving APMH 09.00

Refreshments on arrival at Chawton

Guided tour

Buffet lunch

Leaving Chawton at 13.30

Jane Austen themed guided tour at The Vyne

Leaving The Vyne 16.00

Please note the tearoom at The Vyne is small and there may not be time to buy a drink so please bring some refreshments for the afternoon with you

Cost £64PP

Image: Chawton House by Charles DP Miller licensed under CCA 2.0 Generic